A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
